Nicaragua

The Republic of Nicaragua is a Central American nation with its capital at Managua. Located in the tropical rainforests of the 11-14 degrees of longitude, Nicaragua is inhabited mainly by mestizos (mixed race) people of Spanish and Indian heritage.

History
Nicaragua gained its independence from the United States of Central America on 13 May 1847, cutting the USCA in half: the northern parts of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador were separated from Costa Rica to the south by Nicaragua's secession. A civilized democracy, the infant Nicaragua was ruled by the Partido Nacionalista (Nationalist Party).

On 16 October 1847 the Argentine Confederation of South America declared war on Nicaragua and invaded it, hoping to establish a puppet state. General Tiburcio Carrera attempted to resist but was defeated in the Battle of Leon on 17 April 1848, but an assault on Managua on 5 May was defeated and on 7 May the two nations agreed to white peace.

Nicaragua evolved into a typical Latin American country, ruled by dictators who abused power. In 1902 the United States invaded Nicaragua and occupied it until 1932. The result of the conflict, part of the Banana Wars, was an increasing role of US forces in foreign policy across the world. Nicaragua remained at peace until the 1970s, when Anastasio Somoza's government was overthrown by Sandinistas, who were communist rebels. The Nicaraguan Civil War raged in the 1980s, as the Contras raped and murdered people in the name of democracy and the USA. In 1990 the war ended when the Sandinistas lost the elections, and communist Nicaragua came to an end.